• INVENTORY
  • GROUPS
  • EXPOSURE
  • HUMAN

How to map your attack surface with your AI

Connect Censys to your AI client to turn raw internet scanning data into a structured map of your footprint.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I map my attack surface using AI?

Your AI uses Censys to scan the internet for your organization's specific IP ranges, domains, and certificates. It then groups these assets into logical clusters so you can see exactly what is exposed. This gives you a clear view of your external infrastructure.

Where every asset lands.

Mapping outcomes

The AI organizes raw scan data into these specific views.

INVENTORY

Complete asset list

The AI pulls every host found within your defined scope. You get a clean list of everything currently visible on the web.

GROUPS

Logical infrastructure clusters

The AI organizes hosts by service type or ownership. This helps you see which parts of your network are grouped together.

EXPOSURE

Identified vulnerabilities

The AI flags specific services or outdated configurations. You see exactly which ports and protocols are open to the public.

HUMAN

Manual verification

The AI identifies suspicious or unexpected hosts. You decide if these belong to your organization or if they are rogue assets.

The workflow

What your AI does when the scan starts.

The AI handles the heavy lifting of searching and organizing the data.

  1. Locate assets

    The AI searches the Censys database for any hosts matching your organization's IP ranges or domain names.

    search_hosts

  2. Cluster infrastructure

    The AI takes the raw list of found hosts and groups them into meaningful sets based on their properties.

    aggregate_hosts

  3. Analyze exposure

    The AI looks through the grouped hosts to find specific open ports or services that shouldn't be public.

    search_hosts

  4. Summarize findings

    The AI compiles the discovered hosts and clusters into a report for you to review.

    aggregate_hosts

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to kick off the mapping process.

Starting points

Replace the bracketed text with your actual IP ranges, domain names, or organization identifiers.

Censys Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_s8bUKfbc9OS3leqa10RhKd63iRfAGn5ERJCnUH87/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Censys capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "censys-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_s8bUKfbc9OS3leqa10RhKd63iRfAGn5ERJCnUH87/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Search for all hosts belonging to the IP range 192.168.1.0/24.

  • Group all hosts found for example.com into logical clusters.

  • Find all internet-facing services associated with my organization's domain.

  • Aggregate all hosts in my network that are running an open SSH port.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Censys once, then ask.

Just link your Censys account. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can immediately start asking your AI about your infrastructure.

Connect Censys to your AI

FAQ

How the mapping works

  • 01

    Can the AI change my firewall settings?

    No. The AI can only read and group data from Censys. It cannot modify your network configuration or firewall rules.

  • 02

    Does the AI delete any of my discovered assets?

    No. The AI only retrieves and organizes information. It has no capability to delete or remove data from Censys or your network.

  • 03

    How does the AI know which hosts are mine?

    You tell the AI which IP ranges or domains to look for, and it uses those specific identifiers to filter the search.

  • 04

    Can the AI perform active penetration testing?

    No. The AI uses Censys to look at what is already visible on the internet. It does not launch active attacks or exploit attempts.

  • 05

    Will the AI automatically fix vulnerabilities it finds?

    No. The AI identifies and flags potential issues, but you must manually perform any remediation or fixes.

  • More questions about Censys? See everything the Censys Connector can do

Connect Censys to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more